Zootopia: After The Big Screen!
by NickGoneWilde
Summary: Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps aren't just characters in a movie! They have lives, and every day is a new story! Follow the pair in a near never-ending story full of drama, love, and the dry humor that we all know them for!
1. Day 1, Part 1: Alarm

Day 1, Part 1: Alarm

 _*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*_

"No…"

 _*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEE-*_

"Uuugh, come on, let me sleep!" I groaned, slapping my paw on the "Snooze" button. The room went quiet, save for the soft tapping of rain on the roof of my house. Every inch of me wanted nothing more than to fall asleep.

 _But if I do that, Bogo will have my tail..._

So, with that, I reluctantly sat up in my bed, rubbing my eyes and promptly switching the alarm off to keep it from sounding again before glancing at the time.

 _6:02… I have to be at the station in an hour and a half…_

I took a look around the room, granting myself a moment to really wake up and gather myself. It was somewhat messy. Case files were spread across my desk, an empty bag of carrots drifted around the room, and my uniform…

Once again, I let out a groan. My uniform was in a crumpled heap in the middle of the floor. Luckily, I had another one in the laundry room.

I slid from under the blankets onto the floor, my toes meeting the cool carpet, and I sighed. Making my way across the room, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

While any normal person would be forced to cover themselves, I didn't have to. At least, not any more. I was lucky enough to have a house, where I could do what I wanted, and so without a second thought, I made my way to the bathroom, stepping in and flicking on the light.

Looking in the mirror, I frowned. My soft, gray fur was matted in several places from sleep, and it had begun to lose it's soft shine.

"Alright. No big deal, we'll just take a shower and everything will be just fine."

Now, I know it seemed absolutely nuts for me to speaking to myself like this, but to be completely honest, but the job's started to take a little bit of a toll on me. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I had to talk to myself to try and get myself out of bed. This was one of those mornings.

The warm water began to spray me down, which successfully completed the process of waking me up. I adjusted the knobs a bit, as I liked it just a bit warmer than it currently was. After achieving the perfect warmth, I began to lather soap through my coat, all while forming a checklist in my head. It was like clockword.

The cloth ran across my arms and shoulders, and I made my first bullet. I had to do the paperwork on my main case. The zebras across the street were having issues with a thief. Someone was stealing their newspapers every morning.

Now for my chest and sides. The silky smooth soap ran through the fur, and I made my second bullet. I had patrol duty for the majority of the day. Mainly minor traffic violations, but perhaps there'd be a bit of action. Maybe someone would try and escape.

 _I can only hope…_

My cloth moved to my hips, and my third thought popped into place. I had lunch with Nick today. A small blush creeped across the bridge of my nose, and my cloth moved to my thighs and down my legs as I finished the job.

Shaking my head, I quickly dismissed the thought of the fox.

 _With his piercing, green eyes, always half-lidded in that cocky sort of way. His smart-alecky attitude and his charismatic charm…_

Once again, I shook my head and turned the knobs to cut off the water.

"He is _not_ the primary goal for the morning.

I stepped out of the shower, practically fuming. The fox was mesmerizing, but I wasn't about to let him dominate my mind like he did every other morning… and every single day… and nearly every moment that I wasn't sleeping. Even then, the dreams were constantly filled with that smug mug of his.

With my thoughts withdrawing, I forced my head to focus on the current task. I dried off and walked into the hall, glancing at the clock. It was 6:30.

"Alright, thirty minutes to get dressed and eat something… Is that…?"

I stopped in the middle of the hall, all of a sudden noticing the smell of carrots that permeated the air, making my mouth water and my head buzz at the same time, and I sorely admit that I stood there for quite some time before everything clicked in place.

Someone was in the house.

Training kicked in, and my eyes drifted to the drawer in the hall. I yanked it open, grabbing my taser, ignoring all thoughts of fear and confusion as I slowly made my way down the hall towards the kitchen, keeping the barrel in front of me, prepared to pull the trigger at any moment.

As I got closer, I heard the sizzling of carrots on a heated pan, and smelled the overwhelming sweet smell. I began to melt into the comforting feeling, but ignored it. As I neared the corner, I took a deep breath.

 _One… Two… Three!_

I rounded the corner, yelling "Freeze!" And pointing my taser at the nearest moving thing.

Which just so happened to be officer Nick Wilde.

In my kitchen.

Making carrot-cakes for breakfast.

"Nick… wha…" I froze up for a moment, jaw dropping along with the taser. He turned his head to look up at me, eyes opened in surprise.

"Oh. Good morning, Hopps. I hope Carrot-cakes are alright for breakfast."

And it was with sudden realization that, as this red fox looked dead at me, I remembered that I was not wearing any clothes. I could feel my face grow hot as I jumped behind the corner, pressing myself against the wall, my chest heaving.

" _Nick, what are you doing in my house at six o'clock in the morning!? And why were you staring at me!? I'm naked!"_ I yelled, growing more angry than shocked.

"Judy, chill out. Who cares if you're naked? Remember Yax? Clothes were invented to make us animals seem more civilized. Calm down, it's not like we have any explicit features that would make this seem inappropriate or naughty anyway. Yeesh…"

I thought for a moment, "Y-Yeah, I guess you're right… but it still seems wrong…" I slowly emerged from the corner, happy that the fox had his back turned to me.

"But wait, this still isn't right! You broke into my house to make me pancakes!?"

"Judy, you gave me a key the other day. Remember when we had dinner together?" He said, glancing over at me, "Oh, by the way, your uniform is on the couch."

I quickly walked over to the couch, sliding my pants on and tucking my shirt into the hem.

"Fine…" I said, looping the belt around me, "You didn't have to do this. Or you could have called, y'know!"

"I didn't wanna ruin the surprise! Besides, how was I supposed to know you'd be indecent?"

I sat at the table, and the fox placed a plate of carrot-cakes in front of me, along with a glass of orange juice. I didn't respond to him, but instead picked up the syrup and drizzled it over the cakes before grabbing a fork and knife to eat.

"This is gonna be a long day…"

* * *

 **AN:** Alright, so, this is a little project that I started quite some time ago when I was absolutely obsessed with Zootopia. I'm still relatively obsessed with it, but I ended up taking a very long hiatus to get some things straightened out.

Anyway, when I first started this story, people seemed to really enjoy it. So, I've decided to continue writing it. Now, you may notice that the writing is a little... skeletal. Well, I've kinda purposely designed it to be this way as to not overdo it. Now, for those of you who didn't read the original, I might as well explain how it works.

"Zootopia: After The Big Screen" is a "never-ending" story. Basically, the story goes in depth on the lives of Nick and Judy post-movie. The fic follows no real story. There may be arcs. I haven't thought that far ahead.

It follows a "Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Night" format, meaning that four chapters covers one day, and then the next day starts on the fifth chapter. You'll see what I mean as I continue posting.

Anyway! Thanks for reading!


	2. Day 1, Part 2: Parking Violation

Day 1, Part 2: Parking Violation

 _Another day, another job…_

Anyone could see that it was a plain day in the sprawling metropolis that was Zootopia. The sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was so bright, in fact, that I would probably have been blinded if not for the rim of my cap.

Today, I was on patrol duty, and since I was too short to use any sort of vehicle, I was forced to ticket those who didn't pay parking meters, or perhaps those who may have committed major traffic violations and decided to park their car, or stop at a red light.

Regardless, I was somewhat satisfied with my job. Citizens gave me a generous smile as I walked by. Whether or not that was because I looked exactly like a small, confused child, or because they actually respected me, was up for discussion.

I'd started my search outside of the precinct, and right off the bat, there were several unpaid meters. In the first half-hour, I'd written up ten citizens. I was satisfied, for sure. They, however, were not.

I thought back to the particularly angry Rhino, who'd decided to throw a few choice words my way in response to the ticket given to her. She was parked half-way out of the marked parking zone, and as Zootopia was already overpopulated, that was considered to be a major violation.

Anyway, you'd think that someone like me would be terrified by someone like her, but I had one thing that she didn't. A badge. Hooray for power over rank, right?

"Care for a donut, Ms. Hopps?"

I smiled wide as I passed the street vendor, whose permit was proudly displayed on the front of his cart. The black bear held a chocolate-sprinkled donut at me, but I shook my head, "No sir, but it looks like that permit's about to expire! Be careful!" I reminded him, placing my hands on my hips.

The bear nodded, giving me a hearty smile back. I nodded and continued walking.

"Today's a great day… Nothing can stop me now!" I said to myself, sighing in contentment.

Nothing, except for the gray station wagon that was parked in an ambulance zone right next to a hospital.

"What…?" I picked up my pace, nearly breaking into a full-blown bunny hop. This was a major issue, and needed to be solved. There aren't many spaces to park in Zootopia, but to park in an ambulance zone? This was a new low.

"Hello?" I called to those around me, "Does anybody know the owner of this gray car?"

I was met mostly with indifference. Nobody seemed to care. Frankly, I was appalled at how clueless these animals seemed. I scowled, hopping onto the hood of the criminal's car, calling out once more, "Hello!? Can somebody please tell me who this belongs to?"

"Nobody knows, pig!" An angry voice called from a small distance away, and I tilted my head in slight confusion.

"I'm… a bunny…" I shook my head, ignoring the comment. I had to think of something to do. There were several options. I could have Flash run the plates, but it would probably take all day, and the perp would be gone by then. I could search the city, but that would take years. There are thousands of citizens in Zootopia. I could wait, but the owner could be a patient…

"Grrr, people should know better!" I shouted in frustration before plopping right on the edge of the hood, my hind legs hanging off the edge.

 _I'll just wait. That's what I'll do. I'll wait, and then write this guy a ticket, and then be on my way._

And so I did. I waited. I waited, and in fact, several minutes passed. This guy was nowhere to be seen. So, with withdrawn defeat, I slid from the hood and pulled my ticket book from my back pocket. I would have loved to talk to the guy personally, and have him move the vehicle, but he was nowhere to be found.

Furiously scribbling, I finished the ticket, filing the charge under "Hindering an emergency lane", and hopped to the top once more, pulling back the windshield wipers and placing the yellow slip against the glass.

"There. That'll teach 'em." I smiled, smugly crossing my arms.

"Uh. Whatcha doing, Carrots?"

I froze, my spine tingling, before turning around and coming face-to-face with Nick Wilde, a bright pink pawpsicle in paw. The fox looked at me, a confused expression on his face.

"You're writing me a ticket?" He asked, pointing at the slip, before walking around and reading it over.

"N-Nick… this is _your_ car!?" I exclaimed, arms falling to my side. He looked up, nodding and frowning at the ticket, all while licking the treat in his right paw.

"I don't understand, why am I being tick-"

"You're blocking this lane!" I said, throwing both arms down and outlining the emergency area.

"Yeah, I'm a cop, Judes." He chuckled, tearing the ticket in half and tossing it into the nearby trash-can, "This is an Emergency Vehicle's lane. I think me being a cop permits me to park here."

"Nick, you… I mean… well… _what!?"_ I stuttered, my mind blown, before continuing, "Nick, you aren't even in uniform, _this is your day off!_ You aren't in an emergency vehicle, and even if you were, you _still_ can't park here!"

He licked the pawpsicle once more, and I slapped it out of his hand.

"Aw…" He sighed, sadly looking down at the pavement, and at the slowly melting ice cream.

"Nick, you can't just park wherever you want. I need you to move your car." I demanded, stomping my foot, which caused no more than a small "thud" on the hood.

He nodded, pulling his key from his pocket. The vehicle gave a few chirps as he unlocked it and slid in. I hopped from the hood, crossing my arms and waiting. He pulled from the spot, and parked on the other side of the street before getting out and slowly making his way back.

"Sorry, Judy… I'll take the ticket, now." He mumbled, looking at the ground. I should have stopped right there and written him one, but I couldn't help it. I hated it when he did this. Those puppy-dog eyes.

"Look, I won't write you a ticket, just don't do it again." I groaned, balling my paws in exasperation.

Nick immediately brightened, smiling and picking me up to pull me close to him. I yelped in surprise at the sudden embrace.

"Oh, thank you so much, Carrots! I won't forget this!" He cried, squeezing me tight.

I sighed, face squished against his bright green shirt.

 _Here we go again..._

* * *

 **AN:** Decided to post parts 1-3 in one night to keep the interest flowing.


	3. Day 1, Part 3: My Little Runaway

Day 1, Part 3: My Little Runaway

It was so exhilarating. I knew it. I knew exactly what I was doing, but that didn't stop me. Do you honestly think that someone at dumb as _Bogo_ would be able to stop me?

We were rebellious, Nick and I. Jeez, I wouldn't be able to describe him if a gun were against my head. He was wonderful, and my feelings for him, despite how hard I tried, were incredibly difficult to contain. This fox was constantly on my mind.

And so now as he held me in his arms, his half-lidded arms facing forward and that smug smile ever-so present on his face, I laughed out loud as he swiftly stole me away from the precinct.

He laughed along with me as we burst through the front doors onto the streets of Zootopia, gaining many strange looks from the surrounding citizens, who had the rare chance of watching two uniformed officers of the law run through the streets without a care in the world.

"I, Officer Nicholas P. Wilde, am going to take you out for lunch!" The fox declared not two minutes ago. An immediate blush made its way across the bridge of my nose, my ears flattening against my head. He put on his signature smile, bowing in the most ridiculous way, and held out a paw for me to take.

I was absolutely swamped with paperwork and case files, and almost every bit of me wanted to deny his request, but a few things stopped me. For one, he'd decided to make a _very_ big deal of the demand, causing most of the white noise of the working animals to quiet down. Chief Bogo himself looked over, scowling and standing.

"The _both_ of you have work to do, Officer's Wilde and Hopps, and I think it would be in your best interests to sit down and continue."

But you know what he did at that exact moment? Let me tell you what Nick did. He grabbed me from my chair, huddled me against his arms like a small child, gave Chief Bogo a proper raspberry - hand-movements and all - and promptly raced out of the building.

I'd started to protest, but you know what? I didn't. And now here we were, running in the exact direction of a restaurant that I was _very_ fond of.

" _Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde, both of you get your tails in this precinct_ right _now before I write the both of you up! This is the worst form of disres-_ "

Nick promptly turned his shoulder-radio off, rolling his eyes. I laughed once more, moving my paw up to do the same.

"Nick," I yelled, looking up at him with the biggest smile in the world, "We are going to get in _soo_ much trouble for this!"

"Bah, yakety-yak. Live a little, Carrots! We'll be fiiine. What's the worst that can happen?" He chuckled, slowing his pace as we approached the restaurant. It was a neat little diner on the corner of Stripes and Spots, ran by a beaver by the name of Slaps, who had the _worst_ temper of anyone in the sprawling metropolis.

It was a wonder why anyone actually came to the restaurant, save for the fact that they had some of the best coconut-cream pies in the entire planet.

As we opened the doors, we were met with music that made you want to stop and tap your hind-paws, and the noise of the city seemed to fade behind us. The walls were painted in red and white. The booths held the same color scheme, with the seats covered in a sort of leather. The place held a slight coolness, temperature wise, and the smell of fresh tomatoes wafted through the air, accompanied with the smell of freshly grilled burgers.

Nick placed me on the floor, clearing his throat to grab the attention of the beaver, who scowled at us, crossing his arms.

"Ya know ya can siddown anywhere, Foxtail." He slurred, moving over to the stove and popping on the gas.

"I know that, Slaps. I was just tryin' to irritate you." Nick motioned for me to follow, and I hopped over to the bar to sit. The both of us picked up a menu, and began to look it over.

"Gonna get the same thing as last time, Carrots?" He asked, closing his menu and waving Slaps over.

I nodded, "Yeah, actually. Slaps, I'd like a water and a salad. Could you do that for me?~" I batted my eyes at the beaver, and the beaver swallowed, a slight redness appearing over his cheeks. He nodded with a chuckle.

"Yeh'? An' whaddabout you, Fox?" He clicked his pen, writing as Nick spoke.

"Yeah, I'll have an eight ounce, medium-rare and a side'a fries. Could you do that for me?~" Nick batted his eyes at the beaver, who promptly frowned and bared his teeth at the mocking Fox.

"Well well, Nick. Are you making fun of me?" I asked, placing my chin on my paws and looking up at him.

He nodded, looking down at me and winking with that same cockiness that made him exactly who he was.

While the beaver got to work on our food, I began to talk.

"So, I've been assigned to this case, an-" Nick interrupted with a gasp, placing one paw on the counter and one on the edge of his seat, eyes widening in surprise. I tilted my head, confused.

"You were assigned a _case!?_ Boy, it's almost as if you're a cop! You know, Judes, let's talk about something _other_ than work. What are you doing at home?"

"Erm… work. Also making sure that a certain fox doesn't show up at my house unannounced." I grumbled, taking the straw of my drink in mouth and drinking the cool liquid.

"You've had another fox in your house?"

I nearly spit my drink. The comment took me by surprise.

"No, Nick! Are you… you're messing with me." I said, suddenly realizing. He grinned, and I groaned.

"I don't even know why I deal with you."

"Well, I can think of a few rea-"

" _Shh, the food's here!"_ I hissed, eyes following Slaps' gloved paws as he placed the plates in front of us.

"So? Food isn't a good reason to interrupt me, Carrots." Nick stated flatly, pulling the plate closer to him and picking up his utensils. "Anyway, I can think of a few reasons why we're together." He said, ending the statement with a bit of sing-song, and my blush returned.

"W-Whatever…" I stuttered, sticking a forkful of lettuce and carrot in my mouth.

"Well, _I'm_ working on fixing my place up." Nick stated proudly before sawing a chunk of the steak off and popping it into his maw. He chewed the steak with enthusiasm, making sounds of appreciation.

"Delicious steak as always, Slaps!" He called over, smiling at the beaver.

"Cannibal."

"Ahh, he's such a jokester, right Hopps?" Nick chuckled at the morbid comment, " Anyway, you wanna come over later for dinner?"

I blinked in surprise, looking up at Nick. He seemed to have a genuine smile on his face as he nodded in reassurance.

I nodded, smiling back at the fox. "Yeah! I-I mean, I don't have anything else to do."

"Yep. I know." He nodded once more. With that, the two of us entered a state of silence as we both dug into our meals.

"You know Bogo's going to yell at us, right?"

The part that confused me the most was that, as I spoke to Nick, the only thing he did was smile! That's all he ever did! The fox didn't seem to care one bit that we were going to get in massive amounts of trouble!

"Look, Carrots. If I wasn't confident in my abilities as an employee of the ZPD, I wouldn't make it my personal goal to whisk you away to lunch. Besides, I got the big guy a salad. Buffalo like salads, right?"

He asked, raising a bag with what looked like a to-go box.

"Even if he doesn't, he can eat me. Don't worry, Judy, it'll all work out! You'll be a cop, and I'll happily be digesting knowing that you'll be doing what you love!"

I smiled at the comment, my face going soft. I wanted to say something, but I hesitated just so slightly. Nick seemed to notice, and he tapped me on the shoulder with the back of his paw.

"But Nick… I won't be doing what I love with who I love…" I mumbled over at him, immediately blushing afterward.

There was a stark silence for a moment, and nothing was said for the next minute as everything seemed to process in both of our heads. All of a sudden, to the surprise of not only me but the animals around us, Nick burst into a loud, seemingly-maniacal laughter.

I got frustrated, crossing my arms and stomping on the ground, "D-Don't laugh! That was hard to say!"

His laughter got worse and he doubled over, clutching at his gut. In return, I punched him in the arm.

"O-Ow! Sh-Sheesh, for a cute widdle wabbit, you sure do hit hard!" He chuckled, "Hey, c'mon! I got a place for us!"

With that, we were off again. He grabbed me by the paw, running down an alleyway into the backyards of apartments. We ran through open fences and under clotheslines full of dresses, to the surprise of a couple of turtles who were arguing about loud neighbors.

Eventually, Nick slowed down and stopped. Both of us panted over even more laughter. Through the laughter, I took a look around to see exactly where we were, and my breath was caught in my throat. There was silence around us, and I only just noticed the cool grass under my paws. We were in a sanctuary of sorts. Nick stopped laughing, and put his paws on his hips as he watched me look around.

Roses, marigolds, daffodils, and sunflowers made their way up the wooden walls in vines of thousands of shades of red and gold, pink and blue. The whole city seemed to freeze as we entered, just to give us a moment's peace. I knew though, that Zootopia froze for nobody, and that Nick had probably found the only place in the entire city that was free of noise.

"Nick… A-Are we in somebody's backyard?" I turned around to face him, and he nodded.

"So? They're at work right now… Don't worry, I know this for a fact." He strolled over to me, eyes half-lidded, "I know for a fact that you need a break, Ms. Hopps. I brought you here for that exact reason."

Without a second thought, I hopped up to him, throwing my arms around his neck and hanging there for a moment, pushing my face into the crook of his neck. He gave an "Oof!" Of surprise, falling onto his back. He was below me, and I was on top him him, and it seemed like, for the that one single moment, in that one single embrace, the whole world didn't matter.

After that one moment, I released the fox, falling to my side.

"You know, you take life so fast, Judy…" Nick murmured, turning his head to look at me.

I didn't respond. Instead, I focused my attention on the clouds, trying to find some sort of shape in the sky. He looked back up, pointing to one in the distance.

"Hey look, it's Flash."

"'Must be why it's going so slow, right?"

"Hey, don't hate on the Flash, Judes. He's the fasted in that whole place."

I laughed, slapping him on the arm. My laughs turned into sighs, and I looked at him.

"I know I do… I just feel like I owe everything to the world, y'know? Being so small, what worth am I?" I asked, frowning and looking down. I didn't make it far before one of his claws pushed my chin back up. He shook his head.

"Nah ah ah… You don't get to be sad around me." He said.

He smiled, placing a small kiss on my forehead.

"Especially when you're worth everything to me."

I melted.

What can I say? That's what I get for falling in love with a fox.


	4. Day 1, Final Part: The Rain

**AN:** So, this is where the first arc begins. After three chapters of goofing off, I've decided to go ahead and start with our first point of real interest. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Day 1, Final part: The Rain

I lied when I said that my favorite thing about being alone was the fact that I could walk around my own home without having any sort of shame. The best part is the quiet. I didn't have to deal with noisy neighbors, all I had was the light tapping of rain on my roof. After getting chewed out by Chief Bogo, I could see the dark clouds rolling over the top of Zootopia's skyscrapers.

A case file sat in front of me, and I mindlessly scrolled through the details. It was a case of murder, most likely an underground gang crime case that would be solved in a few days, or dropped in the archives in the next few weeks. Normally, violence of that nature didn't really keep the attention of Bogo for long.

I couldn't know for sure. Even though my eyes settled on the words, the impact on any sort of productivity was miniscule at best. My thoughts were on Nick. The entire day, from beginning to end, my eyes were clouded with his image. I'd received numerous irritated taps on my arm from partners and the like, and I'm embarrassed to say that I sat for a full five minutes on the same document while Bogo watched me over my shoulder. You can imagine the ear-full I got afterwards.

Yep, I may have gotten a rather beefy pay-bump after exposing Assistant Mayor Bellwether, but that didn't stop the buffalo from expressing the fact that he simply didn't care, though he did hint at some rather interesting work coming in the future for Nick and I.

You see, when we speak about the underground syndicate of Zootopia, we don't speak about Mister Big. They simply don't make the cut. They're too public with their crimes, and with Mayor Lionheart and three-quarters of Zootopia's infrastructure development in their pocket, they were politically and socially untouchable.

When we talk about organized crime, we speak about the acts of terrorism that run the streets at night. For example, this specific murder case was one of serial murder, most likely led out by a gang. The Prey of Zootopia, speaking primarily of the name of the gang, rather than the social status, was a well-known group individuals with a particular lust for crime, and Bogo was up our tails about bringing in members of the gang.

Anyway, after another attempt at looking over the case file and finding it somewhat difficult to stomach the photos from the scene, I simply closed the file and leaned back in my chair, stretching out and yawning rather obnoxiously.

In the middle of my yawn, my ears perked at a knock to the door. Glancing at the clock, I cocked my head in a mixture of surprise, annoyance, and confusion. Nick wasn't supposed to arrive for another hour, and his alleged arrival had left me completely unprepared. I jumped from my chair, throwing open the closet door and scrambling to find something decent to wear. A white t-shirt and a pair of frilly, pink undergarments wouldn't cut it.

"H-Hey Judy? I'm getting kinda wet! Can I come in, please!"

I groaned and shouted back, "Can't you let yourself in!? You didn't have a problem doing that this morning!"

"... No…" His defeated voice rang through the rooms, followed by a bit of cheeky laughter from the fox. At that point, I knew the idiot had gotten himself in trouble.

"Ah, forget it."

I grumbled and grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the edge of my bed, sliding them on and poking my tail through the little hole in the end. I could hear somewhat frantic knocks on the door as I skulked out of the bedroom and down the hall, remembering the embarrassing events that took place this morning. I slowed my pace.

"C-Cmon, Judes! You wouldn't leave a cutie like me outside, wouldja!? My coat gets all frizzy when I get wet, you know that!" He whimpered, jiggling the handle.

"Well, that just makes me want to go even slower!" I laughed, borderline maniacally. I unlocked the deadbolt on my door and pulled it open to reveal the fox, who was more than a little bit annoyed. With a smug grin that was nearly akin to his, I leaned against the frame, crossing my arms and looking him over.

"Care to come in, sweetheart?~" I asked, nearly breaking my facade with a laugh as the rain began falling noticeably harder.

Nick took a deep breath. He held it for quite a bit, before letting it out and putting on his best smile. He nodded, and I rolled my eyes and waved for him to follow me.

I heard a click behind me as the door closed, and I quickly stopped him.

"Nah-ah… Take your shoes off. You get my floors muddy, and I _will_ end you." I threatened, walking over to the bar and turning the oven on. "I hope you don't mind a pizza. You came about an hour earlier than I expected, so I didn't have time to prepare anything."

"Hence the causal attire, I suppose?" He retorted, crossing his arms, his eyes half-lidded.

My face got hot, and I scrunched my nose, turning my head up. I met his gaze in the corner of my eye, and said, "Well, at least I'm not wet."

He growled a bit, more playful than anything else.

"Speaking of," I began, turning and pulling open the freezer. " _Why_ are you so wet? Last I checked," I retrieved the pizza, gazing at the instructions. "You had a vehicle, which I almost ticketed earlier today."

I went ahead and unwrapped the pizza, sliding it into the oven to warm up.

"Yeah… about that. It was towed…" He mumbled, sitting at one of the stools, fiddling with his thumbs.

"Of course it was. Don't tell me you parked in another emergency zone, Nick."

He shook his head, grinning. "No, no of course not! I just… parked it in front of a fire hydrant."

I buried my head in my hands, groaning out of sheer annoyance. "I have an idiot for a partner. I knew it."

"How was I supposed to know that was illegal!?" He cried out, shrugging, "You know, we should _really_ mark these things down so that used-to-be criminals can properly follow the law!" He barked, crossing his arms in defiance.

I ignored the comment. The smell of cheese and tomato sauce began to flood the kitchen/living room and my mouth began to water. Another moment passed, and a small *Ding!* sounded, prompting the quick and careful evacuation of the pie from the oven.

Nick slid from the stool and began walking around to the kitchen, looking around in a sort of awe. I pulled open one of the drawers and produced a pizza cutter to slice the pizza, but the exaggerated gasps made me twitch my nose in annoyance, and I looked up at the fox.

"Nick, what are you doing?" I asked.

There was a sort of silence between my question and the actual answer, but eventually his face contorted into this sort of forced grin, squealing in delight, "You guys have the tiniest kitchens in the world! I mean, everything is so low to the floor!"

"Honestly?"

"I mean, it's just so… so… cute!" He laughed, slapping his knee and wiping a small tear from his eye.

"So, what exactly were you doing when I knocked on your door, Judes?"

I stopped for a moment, thinking about it. Was the case file appropriate talk for a date? Would he want to talk about work? I shrugged.

"I was looking at the case that Bogo gave us this morning. You know, the one about the tiger that was killed downtown?"

Nick nodded, speaking around the food in his mouth. "Mhm, I remember that'un," He swallowed, "Something to do with The Prey, right? Do we have any leads at all?"

I stepped away from the table, retrieving the physical copy of the file from the couch in the other room.

"According to this, only that it seems to be a serial murder. The scene held the same M.O. and everything." I said, opening the file and flipping through the pages until I landed on the photos, "See? Cut throat, wrists, and the same symbol carved on her right cheek."

"Yeah, I see it. Not exactly the best thing to be showing me while I'm eating." He pushed his place away, leaving a slice unfinished.

"Sorry, Nick, but this is important. She's the fourth victim in two weeks. The Prey are up to something." I said, pointing at the picture of the body.

"Yeah, The Prey are _always_ up to something, Carrots," He waved my arm away, looking the other direction. "'Doesn't mean that we automatically assume it's them. There are plenty of other gangs in Zootopia."

"I didn't ask you to agree with me, Nick. I just asked you to focus on the task at hand." I crossed my arms, looking at him. "Remember where you lie."

"Oh no. Oh, I know you didn't just pull the rank card on me, Officer Hopps." He asked, obviously taken aback by my comment. There was a chuckle of disbelief, and the fox pointed at the case.

"I know that is seems like everything in Zootopia has to be fair and right, and that you should be able to figure everything out, but _this-_ " He tapped on the picture of the deceased tiger, " _-this_ is something that we can't think about for too long, otherwise you jump to conclusions."

I didn't say anything. I just dropped my arms to my side and glared at the floor.

"Judy, look… we can't completely blame The Prey. They haven't been tied to any of the other cases." He put his hands on my shoulders, leaning down and looking into my eyes.

"These are dangerous animals. If you go and accuse them, they could get _very_ angry _very_ fast, and things could tumble downhill at the ZPD. You don't want to make them mad. Trust me, I've seen what they can do."

"Then maybe you understand why I have to stop them… why _we_ have to stop them. If they turn out to be the ones killing these animals, we have to protect the streets." I sighed, closing the case file and grabbing the dirty plates from the table.

Nick sighed, standing and clearing his throat, "Look, I should go… I'm sorry if I made you mad…"

I chucked, shaking my head, "You didn't make me mad. Look, you're right, alright?" I placed the dishes in the sink and pulled a bit of tupperware from a cabinet to store the rest of the pizza in the fridge.

He smiled and nodded, turning and walking towards the door. "Thanks for the Pizza, Carrot...s…" He stopped, dramatically drawing out the last few syllables as he opened the door to find that the driveway was completely flooded, as what seemed like a monsoon raged outside.

"Well, looks like you're staying here tonight~" I grinned, pointing at the couch.


	5. Day 2, Part 1: Surprise!

Day 2, Part 1: _Surprise!~_

Nick didn't sleep on the couch.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're probably thinking that at first, I gave him a blanket and a pillow, and he happily climbed onto the couch and fell fast asleep. You're probably guessing that I took a shower and slid into bed, and fell asleep. Well, you're right. And I did. For about five minutes. Then, something incredible happened.

When I say incredible, I _actually_ mean incredibly annoying. My thoughts woke me. Nicholas Wilde was in my house, and he was sleeping on the couch. Nicholas Wilde, the same irritating fox who broke into my house (figuratively speaking), made me pancakes, and then took me out to lunch.

I sighed, shifting onto my back under the thick comforter and staring at the ceiling. You know how they say that you should _never ever_ fall in love with your co-worker? Well, I officially have. And you. _You_ can't say _crap_ about this. I haven't given you permission.

So, without a second thought, I pulled the blanket back, slid on a pair of bottoms, and made my way over to the door.

In the hall, I could hear Nick's snores from the living room. They weren't loud, but they were noticeable. Ignoring the loud grumbles, I stumbled blindly down the hall over to the back of the couch, leaning over to shake the slumbering fox.

"Nick," I hissed, running my paws over his shoulder, "Wake up."

He shifted, but otherwise didn't wake. Another rumbling snore. I shook him once more, a frown crossing my face.

"Nick. Wake up." I said, this time using my full voice. His eyes opened halfway, and he turned to look at me.

"Hm..? Something wrong, Carrots?"

"Come with me. To my bed."

He blinked, now fully awake. There was no protest as he sat up, gathering his pillow and following me. I led him into my room, kicking aside some clothes and straightening out the bed.

"Heya Judes, I don't suppose you planned on this, eh? Hehe, nice…" I turned around, and my face grew several shades of red. The ugliest smirk in the world made it's way onto Nick's face, holding a pair of plain blue panties in his claws. I snatched them away from him and threw them across the room.

"Bed. Now. And no funny business, yeah?" I growled, sliding into bed and immediately turning to face the wall.

There was a moment's hesitation before he pulled the blanket back and climbed into the bed beside me. I jumped slightly as Nick's arm found its way around my midriff, and he pulled me closer. I sighed, unable to deny it any longer.

My head cleared, it took only a few minutes for me to sleep.

The alarm didn't wake me up this morning, but rather, something was _poking_ me in the back. My eyes fluttered open, and I fixed them on the bland wallpaper in front of me. A million thoughts flashed through my head as I tried my hardest to figure out what it could possibly be that interrupted the five minutes of sleep that I had left. With no options left, I sighed, and then spoke.

"Nick."

"Hm…?~"

I waited a moment, cheeks burning.

"What's poking me?"

He cleared his throat, pulling back the blanket. He chuckled, "Ohh, nuts."

"What!?" I screeched, immediately pushing away from him and throwing myself out of bed. I stood, turning to face him as I crossed my arms.

"What…?" He looked at me, confused, "Erm. Sorry, Judes. I didn't realise my gun was poking you…" He mumbled, poking down at the forty-five caliber pistol that was strapped to his hip.

"Y-You… What!? You sleep with a gun!? That could have killed either of us!" I yelled, rubbing the sides of my head and tugging on my ears in exasperation. In return, the fox simply burst out laughing, covering his face as his barks filled the room.

"Ohh, you silly rabbit! It's on safety!" He said, pulling the gun from its holster and pointing at the switch, which was clearly _not_ on safety.

"Nick, the gun is not on safety."

"Shall I make pancakes?" He asked, ignoring the fact as he flipped the safety on and slid it back into his holster. Standing, the shirtless fox stretched and scratched neck before walking out of the room.

 _Surprise, surprise._

I flipped the switch on my alarm clock to turn it on and grabbed my towel, throwing it over my shoulder.

"I'm taking a shower, Nick! I suggest you do the same!" I called out to him, stepping across the hall into the bathroom.

Once again, bullet points filled my thoughts.

I lathered soap into a cloth. First things first, I had to give a report on the case of the murdered tigress. Her wrists and neck were cut by some sort of blade. A symbol was carved into her cheek. 'PZ'. The Prey of Zootopia, which was a gang made up of prey that held court in the downtown area of Zootopia's urban zone. Heavily prejudice against any sort of predator, there were many cases of gang-related violence that the ZPD had to deal with on a daily basis.

I began washing. Another bullet point. I made it an objective to let Nick know that he was not to sleep with a gun strapped to his side. I keep one in the nightstand next to me, and unlike _his_ , mine was on safety at all times. Luckily, I've never had to use it.

With nothing more to think about, I quickly finished up my shower and stepped out. I dried off and put on a pair of ZPD slacks and an undershirt.

In the hall, the smell of pancakes brought back the embarrassing memory of yesterday, when Nick practically broke into my house to "Surprise" me. You remember.

"Sorry about scaring you this morning. I've never had a problem with'er, so I figured, 'why not?', y'know?" Nick looked at me over his shoulder, shrugging. He took the spatula in his right paw and flipped one of the pancakes before going over to the plate to top off a stack that was, admittedly, _very_ impressing.

"Wow… Nick, I don't eat that much." I mumbled, taking a seat at the bar.

"Yeah, I didn't think so. A quarter for me, a quarter for you, and I wanted to bring the rest to Clawhauser. 'Surprise the big guy."

I blinked, smiling at him and cooing a bit, "Aww, that's really sweet of you, Nick!~"

He just shrugged and chuckled.

I took a plate of the flapjacks, happily digging in. Nick watched on with a little smile on his face, his eyes half lidded. I nodded my approval, washing down the mouthful of pancake with the provided orange juice.

"Delicious."

"Glad you enjoy them, Carrots~"

Twenty minutes later, we had our uniforms on and the pancakes wrapped up for the cheeky cheetah, along with a large cup of orange juice. The commute between the house and the precinct wasn't very long, but we spoke nonetheless. Nick's morning was going to go close to mine. He had a report of his own, but it wasn't anything serious like a homicide.

Despite his involvement in the controversy surrounding the savage animals, he still had to work his way up the latter before receiving a case like this. In the passenger seat, he read over his own case of theft, grumbling unhappily at the monotony of the file.

"Forget to read it last night?"

He angrily slapped the file shut, giving me a look.

"Thought so."


	6. Day 2, Part 2: Another Day

Day 2, Part 2: Another Day

The precinct was buzzing in an ever-present sort of way. Officers of the ZPD were bustling to and from several different work-stations. Officer Clawhauser sat at his normal spot behind the front desk, earbuds playing the familiar poppy tune of Gazelle. He didn't look up from the computer in front of him as the case file from last night, which was reflected in his eyes, held his attention.

I wish I could say that his attention was held a little longer, but the overweight cheetah's nose began to wriggle as we approached, and his nose instantly snapped towards the delectable scent of the freshly-made pancakes. Pulling one of the buds from his ear, he gave a smile, his eyes going half-lidded.

"Good mooorning, you two. And what do we have here?~" He cooed, eyes focusing more on the pancakes than the two officers in front of him. "Are those… for me?~"

"Now Benny, you know better than to assume," Nick began, bringing the plate to his own muzzle and giving a hefty whiff. Clawhauser's mouth seemed to water, and he pined for the food, giving little whimpers

"After all, they smell so good, and I'm feeling a little hungry." The fox cut through the saran wrap and peeled the plastic back, grinning.

I rolled my eyes, snatching the plate from him and leaning up to give Clawhauser the plate.

"Stop bullying him. Here you go, big guy. We made these for you."

The cheetah gasped in delight, immediately taking the plate and ripping the saran off. He leaned into his desk and protruded a bottle of syrup, popping the cap and drizzling the flapjacks as he hummed Gazelle's "Try Anything".

"Ohhh, thank you so much, Judy! I always liked you better~" He shot a glare at Nick before his face changed, giving me a pleasant smile.

I nodded officially, placing my hands on my hips.

"I was gonna give them to him, y'know…" Nick grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Wilde, Hopps!" Our attention was drawn over by Wolford, one of the other officers in the precinct. He seemed to stop mid-stride, waving us over, "There's a Crime Scene. Bogo wants us to go secure it. Let's go."

Nick and I looked at each other before shrugging and following the white-furred wolf.

Now, it isn't exactly strange that two completely normal officers of the law would be called to a crime scene, but Nick and I weren't any more than meter-maids. I got the kidnapping case because of a fluke, nothing more. Despite achieving such recognition, Bogo simply didn't care. We'd never gotten the invitation to come to a crime scene.

We loaded into one of the cruisers, with Nick in the driver's seat. He pulled his seatbelt over and pushed the key into the ignition. After flipping the lights on, he followed Wolford down the street.

"Hey Wolf, what sort of crime are we dealing with?" I reached up, pressing the button on my communicator.

"Uhh, possible 10-10 on the corner of Lawson and Greene. Witnesses reported shots fired."

"10-4," I looked up at Nick, worried. "That's Prey territory, Nick."

"Maybe it's another homicide." He shrugged, speeding up and turning the sirens on. Cars began moving out of the way. Wolford did the same in front of us.

"Maybe, but he said that there were shots fired. The MO was a cut throat and wrists. Why would they start using a gun?" I groaned, pulling on my ears.

"Judes, you said it yourself, this is _Prey_ territory. Animals are shot every day. We don't even know if this is a Serial Murder." Nick chuckled, patting the top of my head, which only succeeded in making me even more angry.

"All units responding to the 10-10 on Lawson and Greene, be advised, we have a confirmed homicide situation. The suspect was last seen fleeing the scene on Lawson Wet."

I immediately grabbed the radio, "This is Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde and I are in pursuit of the suspect!"

Nick gasped for a bit, giving me a look before focusing on the road. For a long moment, there was radio silence. Then, the gruff voice of Chief Bogo came over the radio.

"Alright, you two. I'm trusting you. _Do not let them get away!_ " He roared, and then went silence. I grinned.

"10-4!"

"Alright, Carrots, hold on!" Nick suddenly swerved, and I yelped in surprise, my paw instinctively grabbing the bar in the corner. We were driving down what seemed like an alleyway, now. Several brick buildings flew by, and my eyes widened.

"Nick, where are we going!?"

"Lawson West? I know _exactly_ where the suspect is headed. I used to go there all the time when I was younger. Finnick and I weren't the cleanest of animals, despite how legitimate I made our business seem. We're going to the waste-disposal divot off of Westminster. The sewage pipes are large enough to hold several different homeless citizens-"

"Or an escaping fugitive!" I burst out, eyes widening.

"Exactly!" He gave me a thumbs up,

After a few more moments, we burst out of the alleyway and onto the streets. Several surprised pedestrians began to flee. To our very right was the divot. I gasped, Grabbing Nick's arm and pointing to the area below. Right as we pulled to a stop, I spotted a meerkat running into one of the sewer lines and disappearing from sight.

"There he is! Let's go!" I yelled, opening my door and running down the slope to the pipe. Behind me, Nick spoke.

"J-Judy, wait! Hold on! Hopps and Wilde in pursuit on foot! Suspect is a tan meerkat in a black hoodie and gray cargo shorts! He's likely armed and dangerous! We need back-up at the waste-disposal divot off of Westminster!"

Ever smell something rotting? Maybe a garbage disposal or the compost you make to fertilize dirt? Let me tell you, nothing compared to the overwhelming smell that invaded my senses. Nick caught up to me, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me aside.

" _You can't just run from me like that! He's armed!_ " Nick hissed, drawing his own pistol and clicking off the safety.

" _Sorry…_ " I mumbled, pulling my gun from its holster. My heart was beating. I'd never been in this situation before, but every fiber of my training began to show. I was looking everywhere, my eyes scanning every inch of the sewer in search of the meerkat.

Nick did the same, slowly inching forward. Every hair on my body was raised in some way, and pure adrenaline pumped through my body. Was I afraid? Absolutely. I was also excited, and about a million other things.

All of which came crashing down around me at the sound of a small bump. Both of our guns pointed towards the noise, and almost in unison, we yelled, "ZPD! Come out with your paws up!"

There was silence, but slowly the meerkat came out, his arms to his side. His beady little black eyes stared straight into ours.

"We said hands up!" I yelled, straightening my arms in an attempt to threaten him.

The meerkat didn't say anything. Upon closer examination I managed to spot a small tattoo on his neck.

" _Nick… He's Prey…_ " I whispered over to the fox, nodding at the tattoo. He nodded in response.

"Prey, eh?~" Nick challenged, grinning over at the meerkat. The meerkat nodded, giving his own little smile.

"Tell me. Are you the ones responsible for cutting up the tigress?" I spoke up, keeping my pistol trained at his chest.

No response.

Then, in a flash of activity, the meerkat pulled a gun of his own. Nick and I gasped, but neither of us fired. The gang member currently had the barrel to the ground, and he scanned the two of us.

"You're… lovers. No?" He spoke in a thick, savannian accent.

"Yeah, so what?" Nick's smile widened, "Does that bother you?~"

"Indeed. Very much so. You see, prey and… _predator_ , should never associate, especially as lovers. It is… unnatural, and disrupts the circle of life."

"Ahh, c'mon, buddy. It's 2016. Wouldn't you like to change your views?"

Then, the meerkat raised the pistol and aimed straight at Nick.

"No. I do not wish to change my ways."

In that exact moment, I pulled the trigger.

I think you can imagine my horror when nothing happened.

 _*Bang!* *Thwap* "Aagh!"_

 _*Bang!* *Bang!*_

 _*Ring!* *Thwap* "Unf!"_

My gun was on safety. The meerkat, noticing my movement, fired. I clicked my gun off of safety and fired twice. The first round hit the metal grate behind the meerkat. The second landed square on his chest, a spray of red blood misting out in front of him.

Not before Nick was hit. He screeched in pain and fell back, and everything went silent.


	7. Day 2, Part 3: Silence

Day 2, Part 3: Silence

My ears were ringing. One of the gunshots managed to make its way around the sewage, causing a number of very loud " _Ding!_ "s before settling in the very back of the large hole. The suspect was on his back, chest heaving. Small whimpers of pain echoed through the pipe. Without another thought, I ran over and grabbed his gun, putting the safety on and sliding it into the belt loop on my side.

I took a quick look at the wound, a bullet hole in his side. The bleeding wasn't too heavy, so I assumed that there was no major damage done. With that, I pushed the meerkat onto his stomach and grabbed his arms, forcing his hands behind his back as I pulled my cuffs from my side.

Once he was detained, I stood and took a breath, exhaling slowly.

My breath suddenly became caught in my throat.

"Nick…!" I gasped, turning and running over to the fox, who was also on his back. He wheezed in pain, and I dropped to my hands and knees, lifting his head and looking him over. His eyes were mere slits at this point, and he groaned in pain when I touched him.

After a quick once-over, I noticed the hole in his chest. Immediately, I ripped the shirt open and gave a sigh of relief. The bulletproof vest under his shirt managed to do its job, and I could see the glint of the bullet in the folds of the kevlar.

"This is Officer Hopps. We have shots fired at the Waste Divot on Westminster. I'm requesting two ambulances and the nearest squad car to my location! We have an officer down!"

I spoke frantically into my walkie. Once I was finished, I sighed in a mixture of worry and relief. Rubbing my paws over his ears, I asked, "Are you okay, Nick? Can you hear me?"

He groaned, taking in a ragged break.

"M-My chest… On fire…"

I pulled open the rest of his shirt, reaching down to unclip his vest. With one swift motion, the kevlar was off of him and on the side, revealing the fox's bare chest. I blushed, but cringed as soon as I saw the bruising.

The common misconception about kevlar is that it simply takes the bullet for you, and you can continue fighting after that, when in reality bullets have a _lot_ of force. Taking a bullet, even with a vest on, is like being hit with a truck.

There was dark purple and light yellow bruising over the left side of his chest, extending to the center of his sternum.

In short, Nick was probably lucky to be alive.

I took my own shirt off and folded it over several times, placing it on the floor of the sewer and allowing Nick's head to lean back.

The sound of sirens brought to my attention the current situation. I quickly ran outside and began to jump up and down, waving my arms in an attempt to get their attention. Wolford and two paramedics ran down with a couple of gurneys.

The medics raced past me. One went to the suspect and began to lift him up while the other went to Nick and began to assess the damage. Wolford jogged up to me, looking around with wide eyes.

"Hopps, what happened here?" He asked, pulling from his back pocket a notepad and a pen. He clicked the top and waited for my response.

"Well… The meerkat- Erm… Suspect- pulled a gun and fired on Nick. I fired back." I said, looking around and sighing. I rubbed the back of my neck, nervous and worried about the whole situation.

Wolford paused in the middle of his writing, "Hopps, I _really_ need you to tell me everything. Chief has been on our tails all month about things like this, especially because of the serial homicides."

"I-I know, alright?" I snapped, sighing. "Look, Wolford, can I take a moment? I'm… I'm just not feeling the best."

He cocked his head, "You alright, Judy?"

I stayed silent for a moment, looking down at my hands.

"I've never shot anyone before…"

He sighed, placing a paw on my shoulder. I jumped a bit, surprised at how sweet he was being.

"Look, we've all had to do it. You didn't kill the guy, luckily, then you would've been dealing with a whole other type of sickness." He says, removing his paw and putting his notepad away.

"I'll radio Bogo and set up a meeting for you. You have to tell him _everything_ , Judy. This is serious."

I nodded, and Wolford walked over to the ambulance with the meerkat. I took a deep break, looking up at the sky. After a moment, I released it, and looked around. Wolford was questioning the injured meerkat, a few other officers were photographing the scene, and-

"Nick!" I gasped, running over to the ambulance. The shirtless fox was awake, eyes staring at the ceiling of the emergency vehicle. He sighed, rubbing his face with his paw.

"I feel… ridiculous."

"Officer Hopps," One of the EMTs who was currently tending to Nick looked over her shoulder. She was a sleek-looking panther, who smiled firmly, "He's got bruising on several ribs, but other than that he's fine. I understand that the two of you have a living arrangement?"

I blushed, glaring at him from over her shoulder. He grinned, then winced.

"Yes… we do." I said, crossing my arms.

"Alright, a little bit of advice. He can still work, but nothing but desk jobs. In fact, I suggest you speak to Bogo. He's given several injured officers jobs that they can do from the bed." She said, removing her stethoscope from her ears.

I nodded. The panther handed me a bottle of pills.

"This is the over-the-counter stuff. It will dull the pain until he gets a prescription for the pain, but obviously not completely, so it is imperative that he stays in bed, understand?"

I nodded once more, reading over the label on the pill bottle.

"He's already doped up. We're going to send him to the hospital for a final check-up and a prescription anesthetic and then send him home."

Nick was asleep again. I was somewhat irritated that I hadn't gotten to speak with him, and equally sad that this was all my fault.

I slid the pills into my pocket and began walking back to my car. I pulled the door open, looking over to Nick one more time before getting into the driver's seat.

"This is Officer Hopps, responding to the crime scene on Lawson and Greene."

I spoke into the walkie as I started the cruiser and began checking my mirrors.

"Uhh, negative." I heard Clawhauser's voice over the comms, "Chief wants you back at the precinct."

I stopped, glaring at the radio.

"Officer Hopps, please acknowledge"

"10-4…" I sighed, my ears falling flat against my skull. Now in silence, I began to make my way out of the scene and on the streets towards the station.

I had several glances shot my way as I entered the building, mainly from concerned passersby. Clawhauser met my eyes at the front desk, and he nodded at Bogo's door on the second floor.

"He's waiting."

The walk to his office was a slow one. I wasn't ready for the type of punishment that Chief was about to dish out to me, especially for screwing up on this large of a scale. The door seemed so far away, but it was approaching quickly. The clouded glass was dark, with the soft golden glow of a flickering candle giving away the mood.

I knocked. Almost immediately, "Come in."

I opened the door, walking in and closing it behind me. Bogo was sitting at his desk, glasses on. His fingers were interlaced and he stared at his desk. I sat still for a moment, wondering what to do. Finally, the buffalo sighed and reclined in his chair, pointing at the seat opposite him.

I sat, not sure what to expect.

"I'm sorry."

My ears perked up, and I looked at him with a confused look on my face.

"What?"

"I'm sorry." He repeated, then continued, "I made a mistake sending you to catch the suspect in a homicide. I shouldn't have allowed you to take that call."

"N-No, we were ready, Chief! Both Nick and I were re-"

"No. You weren't ready. I sent you to follow Wolford to help process the crime scene. This was supposed to be a simple job for experience."

"I-I…"

He raised a paw, and I immediately stopped. There was a slightly awkward standoff between us for a moment, as nothing was said.

Finally, he spoke.

"I want you to tell me every bit that happened. From getting the call, to Nick ending up in an ambulance. If I find that you've acted out of line, you will be dismissed with possible charges. Understand?"

...


End file.
